PHUKET: Investigations are still ongoing into how much damage was caused to an Aeroflot plane involved in an incident prior to take-off from Phuket International Airport on Monday night (Nov 14). The incident resulted in the Moscow-bound flight being cancelled.

The damage was caused by passengers stairs attached to the plane. Photo: Boris Suhanov

Phuket International Airport told The Phuket News today (Nov 18) that an incident involving Aeroflot flight SU274/275 happened at 9:30pm on Monday night and that the plane had been damaged by airplane passenger stairs attached to the plane.

“At 9:30 pm on Monday an airport engineer was called to look into an incident and check damage caused to an Aeroflot plane’s door, which was said to have been damaged by airplane passenger stairs.

“As a quick-fix solution the engineer forced closed the door so that it would stay shut.

“Following this, the Aeroflot Maintenance Control Center (MCC) was called in to move the Boeing 777 to the aircraft stand so that the damage could be assessed.

“We can confirm that nobody was injured in the incident and that all 284 passengers were provided with accommodation until an alternative flight was arranged.

“An investigation into the damage caused to the plane is continuing.”

When asked by a The Phuket News reporter about Monday’s incident, Director of Phuket International Airport, Monrudee Gettupan, said, “We know about this incident and understand that it was not serious.

“As per our standard procedures, investigations into the incident are ongoing,” she said.

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Bits fall off planes taking off and landing; doors not closed properly; mechanics fail; planes crash into parked planes and when flying...happens everywhere...so what's the big deal?
Kurt...no... common sense would tell you the passengers cannot be charged. Also, try looking up the Immigration Act.

swerv| 19 November 2016 - 11:33:39

Kurt: Close Phuket airport down?
What a ridiculous statement to make. Accidents happen at airports the world over.

Kurt| 19 November 2016 - 11:14:09

How about these 284 Russians?
Immigration wise they left the country.
Are they now charged for overstay?

Fritz Pinguin| 19 November 2016 - 10:21:15

It reminds me of countless videos showing cars leaving a gas station with the hose still attached.

Kurt| 18 November 2016 - 19:43:48

Director of Phuket International airport said that this incident is not serious?
Wow, than that Phuket airport director has no affinity/ understanding of how such matters are international seen very serious.
It is about time the outside international aero-world starts to focus on that total mess what is called..Phuket International Airport.
It can not much longer go on this way, according international aviation standards.
Phuket Airport should be closed down.

Ed Sanders| 18 November 2016 - 19:25:19

Yeah... easy for Khun Monrudee Gettupan to assert that “we understand that it was not serious." Yeah, just another country's 777 aircraft and 284 people that were inconvenienced in a major way. No damage that grounds an aircraft like this is "not serious". Knowing Thai officials, they will probably push the blame off on a Burmese bag handler and tell Aeroflot that they need to go after him for the damages. I can see the picture now...Khun Monrudee and Aeroflot Executives standing in front of the damaged aircraft and pointing at a pixilated picture of some Burmese kid.